Drilling bit



May 23, 1933. A g 1,909,925

DRIIGLING BIT Filed June 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a i 44M 6 f Y 4 w m xPatented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER A. AIBEGG, OFLOS AN GELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANI) MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOWIEMAN KAMMERER WRIGHT CO., INCORPORATED, OF HOLLY- IDALE, CALIFORNIA, ACORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA DRILLING BIT Application filed June 5, 1929.Serial N0. 368,668.

This invention has to do with a well drilling bit, and it is an objectof the invention to provide a simple, practical, and improved tool ofthis character.

It is a common practice to drill wells with bits including shanks andcutters rotatably mounted on the shanks. Considerable trouble isexperienced in mounting the cutters so that they are secure and can beapplied to and removed from the shanks easily and quickly. The cuttersare usually mounted by means of threaded connections and the operationof the tools causes the threaded connections to become very tight or tojam, making itextremely difficult in some cases to remove the cuttersfor the purpose of replacement or repair. Further. difficulty isexperienced in forming and relating various parts of well drilling bitsso that they are strong and effective. economical of manufacture, anddependable in operation.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a simple,effective, and improved mounting for the cutters of a bit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cutter mounting that canbe released to free the cutters so that they can be removed regardlessof how tightthey may be jammed or set.

It is ,a further object of the invention to provide a bit in which theparts subject to wear are simple and inexpensive of construction and canbe easily and quickly repaired or replaced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide variousimprovements in the arrangement and formation of parts in a bitof thecharacter mentioned. The bit provided by the invention is of simple,effective, and durable construction and its various parts are suited toeconomical production and to being handled in a practical, economicalman ner in the oil fields.

The various objects and features of the invention will be best and morefully understood from the following detailed description of a typicalform and application of the invention. throughout which descriptionreference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is it side elevation of a bit embodying the present invention,the parts at one side of v the center line being broken away to show insection. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bit being a view taken asindicated by line 22 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed plansectional view taken as indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is anenlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig.1, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed plan sectional view taken asindicated by line 55 on Fig. 1. i

The bit provided by this invention includes, generally, a body 10,cutter units 11, and mounting means 12 for mounting the cutter units onthe body. The principles of the invention are capable of embodiment inbits of various styles or forms, however, the invention is particularlysuited to the roller type of bit, that is, the type of" bit in which thecutting members are in the, ature of rollers carried by the body andoperate to drill by rolling or crushing action. For purpose of example,I will proceed with a description of a typical type or form of rollerbit, it being understood that such description is not to be construed aslimiting the invention to this particular form or type of bit or to thespecific details referred to.

The body 10 forms a carrier or frame on which the other parts areassembled. The particular shape and proportioning of the body 10 dependsupon various factors such as the arrangement, character, size, etc., ofthe cutters. In the case illustrated the body 10 is an elongated memberprovided at its upper end with a tapered screw threaded pin 13 forattachment to a string of drill pipe, or the like, and formed at itslower end to accommodate cutter units 11.

In the bit illustrated there are two cutting units 11 each having aconical shaped cutter. The lower end portion of the body has a V- shapedopening or recess extending across or through it forming oppositedownwardly and inwardly facing walls 13 from which the cutters areadapted to project. The sides 14 of the body, between which the recessextends, are preferably cut away or flattened in a manner such as isillustrated in the drawings.

Provision is made for the handling of circulation fluid, for instance,in the case illustrated a central vertical circulation opening 15extends through the body 10 from the u per end of the pin 13 to the topor crotch o? the recess at the-lower end of the body.

The cutter units 11 may be of various forms or types, for instance, theymay be the type embodying a bushing 16 to be applied to a mountingprojection or stud, and a cutter 17 rotatably mounted on the bushing. Inthe drawings I have illustrated a form of cutter unit which is thesubject of my co-pending application entitled Joint and method of makingsame filed June 1, 1929, Serial No. 367,820. Each cutter unit of thispart cular type'includes a bushing 16 to be apphed, for instance, screwthreaded to a stud 18, or the like, and having a radially pro ectingflange 19 at its base end to bear on or against a part beyond which thestud pro ects. The cutter 17 is a conical member having an opening 20formed in it from its base to receive the bushing 16. The cutter fitsagainst the flange 19 and surrounds the bushing with the exception of aportion of the flange. The cutter 17 is retained on the bushing by a key21 carried in registering recesses 22 in ad oining parts of the bushingand cutter. The outer or operating portion of the cutter may be providedwith cutting parts or teeth 23 in the manner common to devices of thischaracter.

The mounting means provided by this invention provides studs 18 toproject beyond the walls 13 of the body 10 to carry the bushing 16 andblocks carrying the studs. The blocks are adapted to be mounted in thebody and each includes a head 23 to be seated in an opening 24 formed inthe body in communication with one of the walls 13 and a stem 25projecting upwardly from the head 23 to extend into a socket 26extending upwardly in the body from the opening 24. The openings 24formed in the body 10 to receive the heads 23 may be in the nature ofnotches or slots cut through the lower end portion of the body.

The openings 24 communicate with or open,

into the recess at the walls 13 and the vertical side walls of theopening 24 are at right angles to the walls 13. The openings 24 areformed so that they are diametrically opposite each other and extend asuitable distance upwardly in the lower end portion of the body as shownthroughout the drawings. Further, it is to be noted that the openings 24are formed so that they have flat spaced parallel vertical side walls.The head 23 of each mounting is shaped to fit more or less closelybetween the side walls of an opening 24 and is provided with fiat sides27 to bear on the sides of the opening 24. The lower or outer end of thehead is provided with a face 29 pitched at the same angle as the wall13. In accordance with the invention, the

parts are proportioned so that the lower end face 29 of the head 23 issomewhat above the wall 13 when the head is seated in the opening 24.The significance of this proportioning will be appreciated from thedescription to follow.

The stud 18 is preferably 'formed integral with the headed 23 andprojects from the head at right angles to the face 29 to receive andcarry a cutter unit in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.In the preferred application a washer 32 is interposed between theflange 19 of the bushing 16 and the wall 13 so that the flange does notdirectly engage the wall 13. The diameter of the stud 18 correspondsapproximately to the width or thickness of the head 23 so that thewasher 32 which surrounds the stud 18 bridges or extends across theopening 24 and has .a substantial bearing area on the wall 13 at the twosides of the opening 24. In practice the flange 19 of the bushing 16 isprovided with notches 35 to receive a suitable tool so that the bushingcan be properly tightened onto the stud as the tool is assembled.

The stem 25 of the mounting is preferably formed integral with the head23 and projects upwardly from the head to extend into the socket 26. Thestem 25 may be round in cross section in which case the socket 26 may bein the form of a bore extending upwardly in the body from the top 31 ofthe opening 24.

The invention provides means for locking or retaining the stem 25 in thesocket 26 in order to hold the mounting in place in the body. In thepreferred form of the invention a locking key 37 is carried in anopening 38 formed transversely through the body. The key, when inposition in the opening 38 projects into a notch 39 formed in one sideof the stem 25 holding its against displacement from the socket 26. Thekey 37 preferably fits more or less closely in the opening 38 so that itis adapted to be driven into place from either side of the body. As ameans of securing the key 37, a lock bolt 40 may extend through the body10 at right angles to the key 37 so that it extends through an opening41 in the key. Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings illustrate the manner inwhich bolts 40 may be arranged in the body so that both of the keys 37are engaged by two bolts 40, thus making the construction absolutelysecure and safe against the keys 37 becoming displaced, and allowing themountings to be released from the body.

When the tool is assembled for operation, the parts are arranged asshown throughout the drawings, that is, the stems 25 of the mountingsare keyed in the sockets 26 with the heads 23 seated in the openings 24.The cutter units are tightly set on the studs 18 of the mounting means.\Vhen it is desired to remove; the cutter units, for instance, after thebit has been operated and the cutters 17 of the units are worn or needrepair or replacement, the bolts 40 are removed and the keys 37 aredriven or forced out of the openings 38, thus releasing the stems 25from the sockets 26 so that the heads 23 with the cutter carrying studs18 can be lowered out of the openings 24, thus detaching the mountingmeans and cutter units from the body. The cutter units having been setagainst the walls 13 of the body and against the faces 29 of the heads23, it is then possible to-freely rotate or remove the bushings from thestuds. Through the construction provided by this invention it ispossible to release or remove the cutter units easily and quickly, itbeing impossible for the cutter units to become jammed or tightened ontothe studs so that they cannot be removed with ordinary tools. Further,it is to be noted that the principal parts subject to wear, that is, themounting means and the cutter. units, are of simple, inexpensiveconstruction and such that they can be easily and quickly applied to andremoved from the body.

Having described only a typical, preferred form and application of theinvention, I do notwish to limit myself to the specific details setforth, but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that mayappear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of thefollowing claims:

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A bit of the character described including, a body having a recess inits lower end with outwardly and downwardly inclined sides, two cutterunits, individual mounting means for mounting the cutter units onopposite side walls of the recess, each including a block for carrying acutter unit and having a head fitting an opening in the body, a stemv onthe head fitting a socket in the body, and a key carried by the body andengaging the stem to hold the stem against movement in the socket, and asingle means holding the keys of the two mounting means againstdisplacement.

2. A bit of the character described including, a body having a recess inits lower end with outwardly and downwardly inclined sides, two cutterunits, individual mounting means for mounting the cutter units onopposite side walls of the recess, each including a block for carrying acutter unit and having a head fitting an opening in the body, a stem onthe head fitting a socket in the body, and a key carried by the body andengaging the stem to hold the stem against movement in the socket, and abolt passing through transverse openings in the body and the keys of thetwo mounting means to hold the keys against displacement.

3. In a bit of the character described, a body having a transverserecess in its lower end with upwardly and inwardly converging walls, thebody having diametrically opposite vertical slots in its lower endjoining said recess at its convergent walls, the slots having flatparallel opposing walls, heads carried in the slots and having flatparallel faces on their opposite sides to cooperate with the said Wallsof the slots whereby the heads are non-rotatable in said slots, theheads havin their lower ends spaced above said walls 0? the recess, astem on each head projecting into a socket in the body, a stud on eachhead projecting downwardly into the recess, a bushing on each stud, acutter rotatable on each bushing, and se arable washers on the studsbetween the bus ings and the said walls of the recess bridging the slotsto engage said walls of the recess at opposite sides of the slots totransmit u ward thrusts from the bushings to the body independently ofthe heads.

4. In a bit of the character described, a body having a transverserecess in its lower end, a cutter, and means for mounting the cutter inthe recess adjacent one side of the recess including a head having fiatparallel faces on its opposite sides, the head being carried in anopening formed in the end portion of the body transversely of therecess, said opening having fiat parallel opposing walls for engagementby said faces of the head, the lower end of the head being spaced abovethe wall of the recess, ing downwardly from the head into the recess tocarry the cutter, a separable washer on the stud between the cutter andthe wall of the recess bridging the said opening to engage the wall ofthe recess, and a stem extending from the head into a socket in thebody, the cutter being carried by the stud to bear on the wall of therecess t rough the washer.

5. In a bit of the character described, a body, a cutter unit, and amounting for the cutter unit including a block detachably connected tothe body and a stud projecting from the block to hold the cutter unit,the cutter unit including a bushing to be applied to the stud and acutter rotatably mounted on the bushing, the block including a headhaving flat parallel faces on its opposite sides an the opening havingfiat parallel opposing walls for engagement by said faces of the head,and a stem rojectlng from the head into a socket in the body, and aseparable washer on the stud between the bushlng and bod bridging theopening in the body whereby t e bushing bears on the body through thewasher independently of the head.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 14th day of May, 1929. a

' WALTER A. ABEGG.

carried in an opening in the body,

a stud project-.

